WEBVTT THE INDEPENDENT REVIEW TEAM WENTBACK AND LOOKED AT ISSUESSURROUNDING THE DAM WELL BEFORETHE SPILLWAY STARTED TO FALLAPART LAST YEAR.THEY DISCOVERED THE SPILLWAYDESIGNER FRESH OUT OF COLLEGEHAD LIMITED EXPERIENCE DESIGNINGSPILLWAYS.AND EVEN AFTER THE SPILLWAY WASCOMPLETED WHAT WERE POTENTIALPROBLEMS PASSED REPEATEDINSPECTIONS.>KEVIN: BUT THE INVESTIGATIVETEAM STOPPED SHORT OF CASTINGALL BLAME ON THE STATEDEPARTMENT OF WATER RESOURCESBECAUSE OTHER EXPERTS FAILED TOSEE THE WARNING SIGNS.>KEVIN: THE DEPARTMENT ISSUED ASTATEMENT TODAY.STATE LAWMAKERS SAID IT IS NOTENOUGH TO PUT THE FINDINGS INWRITING, THE STATE GOVERNMENTMUST ACT TO TRULY FIX NOT JUSTTHE SPILLWAY, BUT THE PROBLEMSTHAT LED TO THE SPILLWAY'SFAILURE.>> IT WAS NEGLECTED.THE INFRASTRUCTURE WAS NOT MADEIMPORTANT ENOUGH AND OVER THYEARS INTEGRATED.KEVIN: CONGRESSMAN JOHNGARAMENDI SAID THE RECENT TAXCUTS COULD HAVE PAID FOR SOME OFTHAT.>> IT IS LUNACY.WE NEED THAT MONEY FOR THISINFRASTRUCTURE FOR OUR SAFETY.FOR DAMS IN CALIFORNIA, FOR DAMS

Lawmakers representing people who were evacuated by the Oroville Dam spillway failure last February said the findings by an independent review team confirmed their criticisms of dam maintenance and operations.

“It was neglected. The infrastructure was not made important enough, and over the years it was degraded,” state Sen. Jim Nielsen, R-Chico, said. “In this case, it was much more serious because it's a public safety concern."

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An independent panel of dam safety experts said "long-term and systemic failures" by California dam managers and regulators to recognize inherent construction and design flaws at the tallest U.S. dam caused last February's failure at the spillway.

Nielsen said it's critical that the state pay more attention to infrastructure and review how the state agencies maintain and inspect facilities like dams.

"This is critical because it’s a huge dam. But, you name the infrastructure failures that we’ve had over the decades. That has got to become a higher priority,” Nielsen said.

U.S. Rep. John Garamendi said the report is evidence the federal regulatory agency that oversees dam operations should delay certifying the Department of Water Resources until all the findings in the report are resolved.

He added that more funds need to be spent on ensuring dams across the country are safe, and that revenue lost through the Republican tax cut could have helped pay for it.

“It is lunacy. We need that money for this infrastructure, for our safety," Garamendi said. "For dams in California, for dams in Arizona and on and on and on."